NA speaker asked not to accept resignations from PTI lawmakers in haste

LAHORE – Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday asked National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq not to accept resignations submitted by lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in their protest against the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The Jamaat leader arrived here at the residence of Ayaz Sadiq to discuss matters pertaining to prevailing political crisis and resignations submitted by some opposition lawmakers. Following his meeting, Siraj told journalists that if the resignations submitted by the PTI were approved immediately, it would create distance between political parties.

Under Article 224 of the constitution, by-election must be conducted on vacant seats within 60 days, he told a questioner. “We discussed with political leaders including Asif Ali Zardari and Khursheed Shah, and reached the consensus that the resignations should not be accepted in haste,” he said.

“Both the government and the protesting party believed in constitution and also wanted to provide relief to the people… so we think that we will find way to end the political impasse in honourable manners,” he said. “All Pakistanis want settlement of the prevailing political deadlock through dialogue,” he said.

He expressed the hope that Speaker Ayaz Sadiq would keep in view ground realities before looking into the matter of the resignations. On the occasion, Sadiq told journalists that Sirajul Haq asked him to avoid proceedings over the resignations submitted by the PTI lawmakers.

Before leaving for Lahore on Friday, he said he was told that PTI lawmakers came to meet him. Sadiq said that he played an impartial role from the day he took oath as the speaker of the National Assembly. He said that it would take some time to complete the verification process of resignations tendered by the PTI members.

However, he expressed confidence that matters would be resolved with the PTI by Monday in the evening. On Friday, PTI lawmakers had submitted their resignations in the National Assembly Secretariat in a bid to get their demands met. The PTI continued their sit-in in the federal capital since last week against alleged vote fraud in May 11, 2013 general election, demanding resignation of the prime minister along with the electoral reforms.